Six Ways Value Engineering Reduces Part Cost

Value engineering is the disciplined review of a design against its manufacturing process to find cost that can be removed without harming function. Here are six categories where that cost commonly hides.

1. Tolerances tighter than function requires. Every tightened tolerance adds inspection and process cost. Reserving tight tolerances for the features that truly need them is the single most reliable cost reducer.

2. Material selection. A less common alloy or thickness can add sourcing time and cost. Where function allows, moving to readily available materials improves both price and lead time.

3. Features that force extra setups. Small design adjustments can sometimes let a part be completed in fewer machine setups, reducing labor and handling.

4. Consolidating parts. Two parts and their fasteners can sometimes become one formed or machined part — removing assembly labor and a tolerance stack.

5. Finish specifications. Finishes carry real cost. Matching the finish specification to the actual service environment avoids paying for protection the application does not need.

6. Quantity planning. Setup costs amortize across a release. Aligning order quantities with actual consumption often reduces effective per-part cost meaningfully.

The best time for this review is before production tooling and first articles — which is why Mikron offers value engineering input during quoting, with every recommendation presented for your approval before anything changes.